


Never Despair Lest You Have Forgotten (Me)

by Enk



Category: Torchwood
Genre: Children of Earth Fix-It, Gen, M/M, Retcon (Torchwood), Torchwood 4, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-12-29
Updated: 2011-12-29
Packaged: 2017-10-28 10:59:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 16,813
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/307170
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Enk/pseuds/Enk
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's been two days since children stopped in the middle of the road, and the Torchwood teams finds themselves in London trying to stop the 4-5-6 from taking the children. Their plans take unexpected turns when they are suddenly confronted by two mysterious time-travellers. Jack and Ianto's relationship is tested as Jack has to come to terms with his actions of the past, present and what he might decide for the better of mankind</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

The light was hot and extremely bright when the portal opened. It first appeared as a tiny ball, then expanded to a line which widened to the approximate shape of a door. There was a click and the room was filled with deeply resonating vibrations.

“After you!” A middle-aged man with grey hair and glasses shouted.

“Are you sure this is the right one?” A woman in a dark cloak eyed the portal with suspicion.

“It has to be. The manipulator can only take this one more time. We’ve got nothing left. And even if we did, they’re right on top of us! Go!”

The woman pulled a satchel over her shoulder and walked toward the portal. There was a screech and she was engulfed in light and disappeared. The man turned his head in panic and grabbed a beaten up bag from behind him and disappeared into the light moments before there was a loud crash and half the laboratory was consumed by an unseen force. There was a crack light lightening and the woman was thrown against a brick wall. Most of her cursing was swallowed by the impact of the man against her.

“Down!” He managed and she covered her head with her arms. He pushed a sequence of buttons on the device strapped to his wrist and the air where the portal had appeared vibrated and a tendril of grey and blue shot into the air and disappeared. The woman pulled herself up and brushed dirt from her clothes.

“That was a close one.” She pulled the cloak from her head and looked around with big amber eyes.

“What the hell are you doing, Sophie? We haven’t confirmed our location yet and if we are on the right coordinates, no one’s seen anyone like you before!”

“Relax, Quinn, there’s no one around. It’s fine.” She pulled a handkerchief from her pocked and wiped her forehead and cheeks. She had no hair on her head instead her skull, cheeks and neck were covered in scales that shimmered in various shades of red and yellow and brown and from the tip of her forehead to the nape of her neck was a band of cartiledge that was raised like the back fin of a fish. “See,” she smiled, “no one’s screaming yet.”

“That doesn’t change what might happen.” Quinn adjusted his glasses and gave Sophie a stern look. “Remember Rexaphor V?”

Sophie sighed and pulled the cloak back over her head, shrouding her unusual features. "Do you feel better now?" Her tone did not lack annoyance.

"You know how people in this century are, Sophie. They barely have encountered extra terrestrial life forms and most of their encounters have not been positive. If you stroll in there all happily telling everyone 'Oh hello there, I'm a human-blowfish hybrid, how do you do? Oh what do you mean I should have a passport and identification, I'm with Torchwood.' And then you'll be arrested and dissected in the same night.”

“Oh Quinn, you worry too much. She pulled a device from her pouch and pointed it at the warehouse behind them. “Well, aren't we lucky. Abandoned Torchwood facility. The universal key should work on this."

“Be careful Sophie,” Quinn warned and looked around, “this is not the Torchwood you know. And they do not know your Torchwood. For them, it has been almost Half a century since Torchwood Four has gone missing."

You told me about the time differential between our worlds and how the portals work. Sort of anyhow. But we need shelter and food before we can think of anything else. Shelter, food and then we find Torchwood Three and Jack Harkness.”  
Sophie put the scanning device back into her satchel and looked at Quinn. "The key?"  
It was a slow motion, reluctance visible in every fibre of Quinn's body. He finally pulled a round little button looking thing from his pocket and placed it on the door. There was a beeping noise, the thing turned green and he plucked it from the door which vanished. They stepped through and the door reappeared as though it had never been missing.

"Perhaps," Quinn looked at the door, "perhaps it is not luck after all."

"We're meant to be here?" Sophie climbed up a set of rickety looking stairs.

"I don’t know, but this all feels a little too familiar?"

"You heard what they said. The translator functioned perfectly. They have come to take the children. We have to stop Jack Harkness, it's the only way to stop them."

***

Torchwood, above the government, beyond the police. The 21st Century is when everything changes, and you have to be ready. And well, make due with what is available to you. At this particular moment in time that meant seeking shelter in an abandoned warehouse that once had been part of the Torchwood One empire just as the sun began to set. Jack was impressed that Ianto had, with very little resources, located the warehouse and acquired a bolt cutter to get them in. Or, rather, he really wanted to be, but he was wearing someone else’s old track pants and shirt and more deaths in the past two days than he was comfortable with. He had died many, many ways, exploding, now that was something new and particularly unpleasant. However, Jack set his jaw and stepped through the door.

“This,” Ianto beamed, “is home.”

Jack forced a smile, hoping it wouldn’t come across as too fake. They had been through hell and back in these past 24 hours and were all in need for a little (or a lot) of encouragement. The empty warehouse stretched before them, damp and-

“Is it just me or does it smell like a fish market in here?” Jack sniffed the air and Gwen and Ianto simultaneously. The only one who seemed unaffected by the smell was Rhys, which he later explained that nothing could be as bad as that space whale.

  
“I suppose when a place has been empty for this long, who knows what crawled in and died.” Gwen was breathing shallow breaths and shared Ianto’s glance for the door.

  
“We need to do a perimeter sweep. If something died in here, we need to find and remove it. Ianto, Rhys, check the inside of the warehouse. Gwen, you’re with me outside.”

  
“Oy, be careful with my wife!” Rhys threw his hands in mock frustration. He had learned that Torchwood was Torchwood and he couldn’t bloody well change that. So he took it with as much humour as he could muster.

  
“Don’t worry, Rhys, your wife and her precious cargo are safe with me.”

  
Ianto rolled his eyes and Gwen smacked Jack’s arm as Rhys worked up to a rant. There was a lot of ‘bloody hell’ and ‘always the last to know’ as Ianto ushered him toward the interior of the warehouse. Gwen smacked Jack again for good measure.

  
“What the bloody hell is wrong with you?” Jack opened his mouth but Gwen shooshed him. “And not just this right now! You’ve been shutting us out further than you usually do. You treat Ianto like crap every time someone even hints that you two might be a little more than just casual shags. And instead of him telling you to shove it, he follows you like a lost teenager. Believe me, that is a talk I’ll be having with him personally as well. But right now, it’s your turn. So, what the bloody hell is wrong with you?”

Jack stood, briefly stunned at the sudden onslaught of angry Welsh vowels and just a little bit aroused. Gwen was the heart and passion of Torchwood and she had the irritating habit of scratching just a little too deep below the surface, past all the layers of skin; she had the skill to lay bare muscle and tendon and bone and expose them to the elements, no matter how painful. He looked at the sky and took a deep breath. He didn’t have time for this, not right now, and possibly not ever, and if he had all the time of the world, he wasn’t sure if he would have the strength of heart to face those demons. He looked at Gwen and flashed a great big smile.

  
“We’ve got ourselves a dead fish to catch, come on Gwen!” She relented but Jack knew she would not give up, not until he was stripped and chained against the wall again.  
“Unbelievable,” she muttered under her breath. They both walked the surroundings of the warehouse unaware of the eyes that followed their every step.

  
“Anything over there, Rhys?” The continued ranting told Ianto ‘no’. He sighed. This was rather exasperating. This was supposed to have been a refuge and everything was slipping beneath his fingers, his life, his family, Jack. In crisis, there had always been the Hub, even when Jack had disappeared, the Hub had always been there. It was all gone, and for a moment, Ianto swam in a storm without port.

Nightfall came fast, much faster and colder than they had anticipated. Abandoned warehouses generally lacked a constant source of heat. The team quickly discovered that sheet metal ceilings and walls did not keep the cold out for long. Before the sun set completely, the warehouse was as cold as the outside. Ianto pulled his suit jacket closer around him; Gwen zipped up hers and drew her arms closer around her waist; even Jack seemed to fold into himself to suppress a shiver. Generally the cold did not bother Jack, but he’d been through a lot, who knew what this had done to his metabolism. Meanwhile, Rhys was collecting scraps of wood and paper and tossed them into a barrel he had found in one of the corners of the warehouse. “Don’t mind me,” he said, “I’m just working to get us warm while you three sit around shivering.” And then, a few minutes later with the help of a lighter and a lot of good will, flames burst from the barrel and Rhys grinned satisfied with himself. “Almost lost my eyebrows,” he took off his jacked and moved closer to the fire, “but still something of a boy scout in here. It’s dark out now, think anyone’s coming back tonight?”

“Well, it used to be a Torchwood holding facility. Whoever snuck in here must have known what they were doing or a special kind of desperate. The lock was still intact when we got here and we haven’t found another way in. Maybe they went through the upper floor, too dark to tell now.” Ianto said, trying to get comfortable on the couch skeleton.

“It’s been abandoned since 1991, long before Torchwood One fell. I don’t think that anyone remembers what this place was.” Jack said, not looking at anyone. He and Ianto might as well have been sitting on separate planets, the air between them seemed infinite and cold. So cold, that even Gwen shot Ianto a quizzical look to which he responded with a minute shrug. Something was bothering Jack and Jack wasn’t going to talk...yet.

“So what do we do? Hm?” Gwen braced the back of the sofa. “Just sit here?” She looked at Jack, her gaze attempting to bore past the aloof exterior. They were all in this together, this was not the time for secrets.

  
“Worse than that,” Jack attempted to evade her, “do I have to stay in these clothes? I mean, come one, tracksuit bottoms? Not a good look.”  
Ianto wished he could help it but his eyes had already rolled out of his head and into the depths of the warehouse. Gwen, however, took it, didn’t miss a beat, didn’t let him distract her.

  
“Jack, they’re arriving today. That alien voice thing said today and we’re stuck at the back end of beyond.” She didn’t add ‘we’re screwed and you bloody well might have abandoned us with that attitude.’ She knew better. All these years with Jack (and yet it had barely been three) and once he was like this, there was no reasoning with him. He was too far drawn into his protective shell and she wasn’t sure if even Ianto could reach him now. She didn’t buy it when he patted the sofa, told them they were all in it together, but she sat down anyways. At least he wasn’t running off. That had to count for something. All together now. The old team. Tosh and Owen still dead. Jack and Ianto on a downward spiral. Rhys never wanted to be part of the team. This was going to be seven kinds of special.

The first night in their new ‘home’ was terrible for them all. It wasn’t the backseat of a car, a bed of potatoes or death but for the first time in these past few days, the team had that moment of silence, that quiet time of reflection that came in the moments before sleep. They had rolled out what few belongings they still had. The blanket and sleeping bag had been deemed smelly but salvageable and all three men had insisted that Gwen sleep on the sofa, which now that she was laying down on it didn’t seem as gallant as it had. Springs jutted into her hip and it was too short to be comfortable. The blanket smelled badly but it kept the cold lick of the night at bay, but it wasn’t until she heard Rhys snore on the ground beside her that she drifted off to sleep.

Ianto watched the two as he spread the thin sleeping bag on the ground and took off his jacket. The sleeping bag barely insulated from the cold creeping up from the concrete floor. He used his suit jacket as a blanket and his arm as a pillow. The smell of smoke, dirt, ash and sweat all clung to the fibres, the jacket was ruined. He tried to pull deeper into the suit, but found there wasn’t much give. He missed the old beat up couch in the Hub, the cot in Jack’s room. He missed the underground pathways. The archives, he definitely missed the archives. And for the first time since they had left Cardiff running for their lives, he remembered Myfanwe and that he had fed her minutes before the explosion. He choked on the sudden flood of grief that welled from somewhere inside his gut. The Hub was gone, destroyed. The rift was no longer in check and all the creatures and devices inside it had perished. Myfanwe was dead. Janet was dead. He closed his eyes tightly hoping the tears that were freely running down his cheek would dissipate before anyone noticed.

“Good night, Jack,” he whispered. He didn’t expect a reply. Jack didn’t sleep much to begin with and never after he regenerated and he had regenerated plenty these past few days. Instead of sleeping, he withdrew, reflected, brooded, whatever it was he did. It had happened before and it would happen again even long after Ianto was gone from Jack’s life. It was the way of things, and Ianto had long accepted this. He did not expect Jack to reply, he certainly did not expect the sudden warmth of Jack’s body behind him, a strong arm pulling him close and warm, even breath brushing against his neck.

“Hey,” he whispered, letting it carry all his questions, his fears and hopes.

  
“Hey,” Jack replied, voice raw and vulnerable and not altogether the Jack he knew. It didn’t matter, he squeezed Jack’s hand against his chest and closed his eyes. He didn’t know how long it took to fall asleep but the last vague thought he had was of what was left of them, the team, down but not out.

***

“So, we’ve got guns. Okay, And a pen knife. A laptop, now dead. Credit cards and a phone which they can trace. Lipstick., contact lenses Lemsip. Book of stamps. Pair of contact lenses. And fifteen quid.” Jack didn’t look too thrilled.

“Plus 25p. And some bloody alien thing turning up today.”

“We've still got some of the Torchwood software though. We've lost the Hub, but the software still exists on the server. But trouble is we're gonna need some more equipment, and not to mention electricity.” So it was really like they didn’t have the Torchwood software at all.

“And how are we gonna manage that, hidden away like criminals.” Rhys did have a point.

“Well that's it. Brilliant!” Gwen perked up.

“What?”

“Criminals. Thieves. Us. Well, they're treating us like criminals, then let's be criminals. Listen, I trained with the police, I know every trick in the book. I've seen the lot! Come on, boys. You're gonna learn some tricks!” Gwen beamed. Jack looked intrigued. Rhys seemed confused and Ianto was trying his hardest not to mention that this had the potential to be disaster in the making. But, instead, he spent the day starting fights with Rhys, pretending to be a waiter, stealing credit cards, laptops. It wasn't necessarily new to him, and perhaps he came up with several of the schemes, but had he been asked he would have denied everything. Sometimes the past was better off the past. And the future, well it would look rosier if Rhys pulled his punches. And at one point of the day, and they all scattered running in different directions to finally head back to the warehouse after a day's worth of thievery, Ianto snuck a couple of credit cards and turned left when everyone turned right.

He took the Tube for a while, walked a few blocks and when he was certain neither Jack nor Gwen had followed him, he took a taxi the rest of the way. While apt with technology, Jack would do a fine job putting together a network for them. Ianto was after something else. He was looking for moleskin and leather and those comforts they had been denied since someone decided to blow up his partner and his second home. Huh, partner, well at least his brain wasn't thinking of Jack as his boyfriend, that would have been embarrassingly juvenile. Ianto felt his cheeks flush when he thought of this morning and how he had woken up. Gwen knew they hadn't been alone together for a long time and Jack had been twitchy since this whole thing started. She was rather decent like that or maybe she had just walked in on them one too many times. She had quite quickly developed a habit of entering the Hub with her eyes closed and feeling for the light switch with her back turned to the interior. And to their credit, she had only caught them once on her desk. It stung to think of the Hub. He missed it. Things hadn't been the same since the children had stopped for the very first time. Jack hadn't been the same. Something was haunting him, something beyond what was going on. The voice of the children had uncovered some terrible truth stowed away in the deepest vaults of Jack's memories. Ianto could practically taste it. Tonight, he would find out what was wrong. Jack tried to hide from him, but, he figured, he might as well just ask.

A good four hours passed until Ianto stepped out of the last store taking a deep breath. He had taken a shower at one of the fitness centres he had found a membership card for (no picture ID, just a swipe card, and the staff seemed terribly disinterested at best) and then, oh the perfect smell of a crisp fresh suit. Unfortunately, it was not his regular tailor, and the suit was from the rack, but nonetheless, it fit like it was made for him, hugging all the right places, and the colouring was a bit extravagant with silver lined through the trousers and vest. When he closed the knot of the tie around his (clean!) neck, he breathed a sigh of relief. He felt human again. Human and like he was indeed Ianto Jones once more. When he left for the warehouse, he took a completely different route, longer than the one before, just in case someone had recognized him.

When he arrived back at the warehouse, he noticed a flashy piece of machinery parked just out of sight from the street. Porsche, he thought, Jack did always have a classic taste. everyone was gathered around a network of computers (where they had found the time to acquire tables and chairs, was beyond him, then again, he had been gone for hours) waiting patiently for a sign of life out of them. His eyes fell on the wall. Someone had cleared away the filth and grime to spell out HUB 2.

“I see we've got a new car outside. Nice, very smart.” He flashed a grin worthy of Jack and put his bags on one of the tables.

“Where've you been?!” Jack attempted to sound playful. Ianto knew better and almost felt guilty, but Jack’s face was going to be worth the price. “We thought you'd got arrested.”  
“Just buying essentials.” He smiled and pulled a tin of coffee from one of the bags. “Technology's one thing, but let's not forget the creature comforts. Coffee, obviously. Got some of this.” Gwen’s face lit up when he tossed the roll of toilet paper at her. “Did you guys set up the network?”

“Yep, still having some troubles getting onto the Torchwood servers.”

“Not to worry, I still have all my Torchwood One access codes.” Ianto smiled. “But first, I didn't know your exact sizes, but I reckon I've got a good eye.” He tossed a bag at Gwen and one at Rhys.

  
“Oh, brilliant, I am stinking!” Gwen shared and scampered off to change.

“And for you, sir...” Ianto turned to Jack and held up a neatly wrapped package corded with twine. “Army surplus special.”

“Oh, you are kidding me!” Jack’s face lit up with a smile bright enough to make Ianto feel rather warm on the inside. He was impressed that Jack did not tear the package from his hands, but rather took it and walked away just slow enough to preserve some form of dignity.

And when he returned, well, it was a little something to behold.

“I’m back!” He announced with a cock of the head, a grin and his hands on his hips, the great grey coat swaying slightly, the braces pressing against his shirt, those trousers clinging in all the right places. And every bit of him radiated ‘I am Captain Jack Harkness, and I will save you.’ They couldn’t help but clap and whistle. And once more, it was a little bit more like the good old days.

  
“We’re going to need the extra wires from the car.”

"I'll get them." Ianto volunteered and walked out of the warehouse to the car, which still lay hidden behind warehouse. Apparently, it wasn't that easy to get the laptops connect to the server and the last piece of alien tech they had left was a set of contact lenses. He felt a bit frustrated, moreso, when the barrel end of a gun poked into his rib cage.

"Not a word," a voice whispered behind him, "you are coming with us."

His first thought was that the government had finally caught up with them, perhaps that woman with her special ops team. “What do you want?” He stated calm, quiet. If it was a special ops team, there would be more of them, perhaps a person on the roof.

"We need your equipment.” A middle-aged man came from the shadows the buildings threw in the light of the setting sun. “And your access to the Torchwood servers."

"Who are you?" They knew about Torchwood, but the man looks much too bedraggled to be a government operative, unless they had ops posing as homeless people these days.

  
"That should be of no matter." said the man and pulled zip cords from the pocket of his coat as well as a gun. He tossed the zip cords at the woman (at least from the voice, Ianto assume it was a woman) behind Ianto and pointed his gun. "Sophie is going to tie your hands and then we will walk in there and have a little chat with your Captain."

"He'll never agree to this!" Ianto struggled against the firm cold hands that made short work of his struggles and corded his hands tightly behind his back.

"Oh dear boy," the man laughed, "you don't even know what this is. Don't worry, we know all about your little involvement in the events of today. Well, not precisely yours, but your Captain. He is finally going to be held accountable for his crimes."

Ianto didn't reply. He merely resorted to a glare. He could feel the barrel of the gun against his back again and a strong hand gripped his shoulder. There was nothing he could say at this moment. He didn't know enough about Jack to say that Jack never committed any crimes. He knew for a fact that Jack committed many, many, many of them and was probably still searched for in various sectors of this and other galaxies at any given point of past, present and future. He couldn't reason because he did not know what exactly it was they wanted and he felt a bit stupid having been caught walking to the car to grab a roll of wires from the boot. Before he could settle in unhappiness and guilt, he was pushed forward.

"In you go," the man encouraged, "we'll be right behind you."

"Ah, Ianto, there you are," Jack smiled without looking up, "we thought you'd gotten lost again."

"I was hoping you had run off to the store to grab breakfast essentials. We've got beans but we've no bacon." Rhys was busy trying to affix a cable to the ground with tape so it wouldn't be a trip hazard. The only one paying attention to Ianto was Gwen. She looked at him with suspicion. He knew she couldn't see the two yet, they were too far in the dark, but the woman had instincts that bordered on preternatural. She opened her mouth to say something but he shook his head, feeling the gun push him forward into the light.

"Jack," he said clear and hoping his tone wasn't too urgent, "I need you to take your gun out and put it on the ground. You too, Gwen."

  
"Ianto, what-" Jack noticed the shadows in the dark. Before Ianto could shout to wait, Jack and Gwen had simultaneously pulled their guns out and pointed them at the figures behind him. It took only a split second before the woman's arm wrapped around his neck and the barrel of her gun pressed against Ianto's temple. The only way this day could get worse was if the coffee he had bought turned out to be decaf.

  
"Who the hell are you?" Jack shouted. Ianto tried hard to keep his breathing in check, to think of what Jack taught him about escaping from captures, how to behave when taken hostage. Don't show any fear, it will cloud your thinking. Breathe, stay calm, you are in no position to negotiate. The best thing you can do is be as ready as you possibly can for when you are told to run, drop, duck or fight. He tried to remember all the things he was supposed to remember from these training sessions and really all his mind could come up with was how most of those sessions ended. And he really felt that getting a hard-on in this situation was not going to be very helpful. So, he stayed quiet and limp against the woman. At least she would have to carry some of his weight in order to get anything out of him.

"Who we are doesn't matter." the man still stood half behind Ianto. Nice, Ianto thought, he was not only a hostage but also a human shield. "We need the couple to leave, our quarrel is with you Jack Harkness. You will help us, or he dies, and from what I understand, you seem to have a bit of attachment to him. Isn't that right?"

Jack's internal fight made him shake. Ianto could tell. He wanted to tell him that it would be okay, that some form of crazy deus ex machinae would save them. Inside the Hub, there had been a thousand ways to trick them, secret weapons within arm’s length at every corner, hell, a hungry pterodactyl would do right now, but the truth was, he was cuffed in front of a gun in a warehouse that didn’t even have plumbing and he didn't particularly want a bullet in his brain or his chest cavity.

  
"If you cooperate, we'll let him go."

"How do we know that?" Gwen eyed the man carefully. She was sizing him up.

"I give you my word."

  
"You are holding a gun up to my friend's head, how do I know you're not going to shoot us all if we cooperate? We don't even know who you are! Or what you want with the Torchwood servers. They aren't even working now! We tried to get in, you can check for yourself."

  
"We need your equipment to prevent the genocide that is about to happen. You have absolutely no idea what is happening, and all because of what you did forty-five years ago, Jack Harkness! They are going to take all the children because of you, Captain!"

  
"What the bloody hell are you on about! Jack, what are they talking about?"

  
"What I did had to be done. Torchwood orders or not."

"What do they mean, what did you do, Jack?"

"It's never just what he did, child, it is what he is going to do that is just as bad. Someone as well travelled across time as your Captain leaves his mark and most of them are scars."

"You let them go," Jack ground out, "and I'll stay here and do what you need me to do."

  
"Then put your gun down, Jack. Put your gun down and they are free to go."

There was a sudden scream and Ianto felt himself thrown to the side, his head connected painfully with someone's boot and momentarily robbed him of his vision. There was a struggle, which pushed him to the ground, instinctively, he covered his head. He heard more shouting and a gun shot. Then there was silence. Ianto rubbed his head and pushed himself to his feet when he found that the rip cords had given out under the sudden pressure of the falling bodies. When hostage taking, one should always have failsafe restraints, Ianto noted. He pulled the plastic from his wrists and dusted off his jacket. When he looked up, he noticed Jack was standing with his arms slack by his side. Rhys had wrestled the woman to the ground, and had pinned her face first with her hands behind her back. The man was lying dazed beside Gwen who had divested him of his gun. She stared at him pale, eyes huge. Jack looked pained.

  
"Well, I guess that took care of them." Ianto smiled. "You sure you don't want to join the team, Rhys?" Rhys just shook his head, staring at him. They were all staring. "Um, why are you staring?"

"Ianto, maybe you should sit down." Gwen suggested.

"I'm fine, just got a bit of a bang on the head, dignity's mostly intact, too."

"Ianto," Jack still hadn't moved. Tears brimmed in his eyes. Gwen bit her lower lip. And it was then that Ianto realized they weren't staring at him, they were staring at his torso. He looked down and suddenly a sharp pain spread through his abdomen and chest. That hadn't been there before, had it? His shirt vest was a dull sort of crimson-grey mixture. He didn't remember spilling anything. He touched  
the stain and suddenly felt a suction sort of feeling in his chest and almost a trickling, like a miniature waterfall, only it was warm and coming from him. When he pulled his hand away, it was covered in blood. 


	2. Part 2

  
"Oh," he said and felt the earth suddenly turn sideways. Jack was there before the floor hit him again. Jack was there and held him, and pressing against his chest. Talking was suddenly hard and he had so many questions. He wasn't even sure what had happened and why someone had wrapped everything in cotton. There was an uncomfortable pressure on his chest, but it smelled so good. Jack smelled so good. So close. His lips. So close. The embrace. And a kiss. So soft. He hoped he was smiling.

"Don't talk," Jack whispered while Gwen was shouting at someone or something in the background, "don't you dare talk. Conserve your energy. Ianto." He was crying and Ianto wasn't even sure why. What had happened suddenly seemed so far away. It was just him and Jack and the pain, but Jack made the pain seem as far away as everything else. Ianto smiled and suddenly felt a strange cold creep along his neck and down his spine and realization crept in. He had been shot. He was going to die.

"Jack," he barely managed a whisper, "not your fault."

"Don't." Jack's tears were flowing freely. He was crying for him. Jack was crying for him, Ianto Jones. Ianto found this both exhilarating and peculiar. Then Jack's face was touching his, cheeks wet with tears. Ianto briefly thought how tired Jack looked. Lips were against his ear and all he heard were faint  
whispers of "Don't leave me." and "I need you." Then there was a sudden jerk and the world went black.

“Don’t you touch him!” Gwen bellowed , gun pointed in seconds as the man had crawled along the floor and was trying to push Jack away from Ianto. There was a shuffle between the two as a desperate Jack attempted to protect Ianto's body from the groping hands of the man.  
"I'm a doctor, damn it! I can save him!" The man finally shouted. "Give me my bag!"

Gwen stood there stunned, while Jack clutched Ianto as though he hadn't heard the man's words. He probably hadn't, Gwen thought. "Now!" The man insisted and it was then that Gwen snapped out of her thoughts and put her gun away and brought the bag over.

  
"I'm not supposed to do this, but it wasn't supposed to happen like this." The man said rummaging through the bag. "Lay him down, open the shirt." Jack didn't move, just stared into nowhere, iron grip on Ianto. Gwen laid a hand on Jack's shoulder. He flinched.

"Jack, he says he's a doctor. I believe him. He wants to help Ianto, but you have to let go for a moment, okay?"

It seemed like an eternity before Jack reacted to her words. She pulled him gently to the side while the man laid Ianto to the ground and tore open his shirt. There was blood everywhere and Gwen wasn't sure if there actually was something the man could do. She clutched Jack's arm, watching.

"I need water!" The man snapped.

"If you let me go, I can help him. We worked together." The woman underneath Rhys's grip managed to grind out.

"Let her go Rhys." Gwen nodded. "Doesn't matter right now, anything to save Ianto."

The woman was up on her feet before Rhys let her go completely and by the man's side with a bottle of water. He rinsed Ianto's chest and pulled a device from his bag.

"He's lost a lot of blood." The woman held her scanning device close to Ianto. "The bullet went through one of his ribs and lodged at the bottom of his left lung. Missed his heart though and the lung hasn't collapsed yet."

"Heartbeat?"

"Barely. He has three to five minutes tops."

The man placed the device on Ianto's chest. It glowed a soft blue, then golden shimmer which sank into Ianto's chest. The bleeding stopped within seconds and the wound closed.

"Let's hope they work fast." The woman looked at the doctor with concern, then the scanner. "No heart activity."

"What's happening?" Gwen's voice was thin as the golden shimmer intensified around Ianto's chest.

"They're nanites." The woman explained. "Still no heartbeat, Quinn."

  
"Give them a couple of moments. They'll fix him."

"What are nanites? Why aren't they working?"

"They are working. They just aren't magical. Sometimes, the damage is too much or it takes too long and the body shuts down before they are able to repair the damage. And this wouldn't be happening if you had listened."

"Now is not the time for that, Sophie." Quinn put his hand on hers, still washing away the blood that was coagulating on Ianto's chest and stomach. "Check again."

  
"Nothing," she looked grimly at her scanner, "he's got two minutes before his brain is going to be damaged by the lack of oxygen."

Jack made a noise that Gwen couldn't identify but sounded like it fell somewhere between grief and complete despair. It was the only indicator of any acknowledgement of his surroundings. He just knelt and stared into space. And Gwen worried what would happen if two minutes passed without a heart beat. She wasn't sure Jack would be able to cope.

"I've got a heart beat!" Sophie exclaimed. "And rising blood pressure, saturation is above critical. The nanites are repairing the surrounding tissue damage. He should be all right in a few hours."

Ianto coughed and gasped for air, before his chest settled into a natural slow rhythm like someone who was in a deep sleep.

"He's going to be okay, Jack." Gwen whispered into his ear. "He'll be fine."  
Jack looked at her for a moment. Then got up. "I have to go." He simply said and disappeared out the door. Tires squealing shortly after.

"So, Ianto's saved? Now what are we doing with them?" Rhys looked at Gwen obviously pointing out that the fight would now be two on two and probably not end to their advantage.

"I think," Gwen looked at the man and the woman, "I think it's time to sit down and talk over a cup of tea. But first, we should move Ianto to the couch, if that is possible. I don't want him to wake up in a puddle of his own blood."

  
When Ianto was gently transferred to the cushion less couch and covered with the sleeping bag, the holey blanket under his head as a pillow, Gwen boiled a kettle of water over a little gas stove they had acquired and poured everyone a cup of tea. They settled down on various chairs and crates and for a few moments sat in silence.

"This is right awkward." Rhys eventually broke the silence. "They held poor Ianto hostage, shot him, saved his life and tried to steal our warehouse and it's only been thirty minutes." He saw Gwen's gun was still on her. They had divested of the others and Jack had taken his. So technically, they still had the upper hand and while Gwen was being diplomatic, she wasn't going to take any further risks.

"How did you fix him? You said Nanites, what do they do?" She took a long sip of her tea.

"Nanites are microscopic robots. They are in part organic and mimic cell functions. If a cell is damaged, they take the place of the cell and repair it that way. They multiply and die off until regular cell function is restored. Cells that can't be fixed, the nanite takes their place and acts as that particular cell would. They replaced about a fifth of Ianto's lung that way. He'll have nanites in his body until he dies. They will continue to repair any cell damage that happens until the cell decay is too overwhelming, at which point the body naturally dies."

"What does that mean for Ianto?"

"If he doesn't get shot again, he will probably live to see a hundred. Nanites can extend a human's life upward of twenty percent. It's not ideal, sometimes there are complications in the later parts of people's lives, but he has at least forty years before that could happen."

There was a long silence. Gwen shifted her jaw taking in the information. She took another sip of her tea.

"So, from the beginning then. What the bloody hell are you doing here?"

After they had finished explaining, Gwen's gun had gone back into its holster. Rhys was quiet, stunned, a bit overwhelmed.

"You're bloody fucking Torchwood. You could have contacted us! Let us know you needed help. We're here trying to fight this, hunted and alone and you could have fucking helped us!"

"We did in the end, didn't we." Sophie glanced over to Ianto who was stirring slightly on the couch. "and it's not like we have a choice now. You know who we are and we will have to work together. They're here to take your children and in the future we have seen, this planet is devastated. We need to get inside that place and stop them. I don't know where your leader has run off to, but this is his fault. He should be here."

"Jack's had nothing to do with this. He's been working to protect people from aliens and the rift and bloody who knows what. How can you even say that?"

  
"We've seen it. What he did, what he is going to do. We've seen it through the children's memories."

  
"So instead of dwelling on the past or future, how about we come up with a plan to stop them, then?" Rhys piped up. There was too much back and fourth going on and not enough deciding on how to save the children and themselves.  
They did need a plan. They needed a plan badly.

Jack returned, still pale but looking much calmer, even though Gwen thought he looked deeply spooked by something other than Ianto's brush with death. She didn't ask. He wouldn't have answered her anyways.

"How is our patient?" Jack looked over to Ianto who was still sleeping on the couch.

"He hasn't woken up yet, but Quinn reckons he will soon. He might be a bit weak after for a while, but he'll be right as rain in no time."

"Good, have you found out anything else."

"Remember when we first met, and you told me about Torchwood Four having gone missing?"

  
"Yes, what does that have to do with this?"

"They're what's left of Torchwood Four."

"You're William O'Reiley. Torchwood operative 1956 to 1975 when Torchwood disappeared after an IRA attack. I knew your mother well."

"That's not really something a man wants to hear from you, Captain Harkness."

Jack flashed a broad grin and left it at that.

"How did you get back here?"

"Vortex manipulator, same as you. Ours is as fried as yours, so we hear. So, we're stuck for the time being."

After Jack had recognized the man, something had clicked. Perhaps, this was a trait all Torchwood operatives shared, but they fell into a rhythm, worked together in sync like no one else would because no one else would know what was at stake. A sudden peaceful thread had fallen over the warehouse and all that remained from the previous struggles was the stain of Ianto's blood until Sophie grabbed a bucket of water and a rag and scrubbed the floor until it was almost gone. Jack and Quinn managed to log on to the Torchwood servers with a little help from an alien gadget that Quinn carried in his satchel.

  
Sophie and Gwen were setting up the I4 software for the contact lenses on Ianto's sister's laptop, when Jack and Rhys (rather loudly) discussed Rhys's role in their plan.

"So," Gwen said after working silently for a while, "Sophie, if you don't mind me asking..."

"It's the fin and the smell, right?"

"Well... I don't want to pry, but... you're not exactly like the Blowfish I've met."

"That's because I am mostly human." Sophie smiled and the fin on her head wiggled a bit. "I was bred in a lab. Quinn's research after Torchwood Four disappeared. They ended up on a space station near my mother's homeworld. Him and four senior Torchwood members continued their research and work to one day find a way home. Quinn had always been fascinated by inter-species relations and procreation. Made me in a lab, 75% human and 25% blowfish. It seems to be the most stable combination. My brothers and sisters passed away within weeks of being born."

"Oh, I am so sorry. I didn't mean-"

"It's not a big deal. One of the Torchwood agents fell in love with my mother and she also fell in love with him. Naturally, they wanted to procreate. Unfortunately, the DNA doesn't quite match up, the Blowfish comes through too strong and the gill-lung pathways aren't stable. As you can see, even a quarter of my DNA still influences external features strongly. I won’t be able to have children of my own. It is impossible for my body to reach human puberty and I do not have Blowfish reproductive organs or hormones.”

"That’s... wow- where are your parents now?"

  
"They died when I was young. Torchwood is a lifestyle that doesn't leave a lot of room for family life or longevity. Captain Harkness excluded, of course."

“I’m sorry. It must have been hard for you.”

“All my life, all everyone around me ever wanted was to return here. And when we thought we had made it home, it was not ten years from now and the world- I’d never seen Earth before that day and at that moment, I never wanted to see it again. Those aliens were handed ten percent of the world’s population in faith that they would never return after. Who believes someone who already lied before? Of course they had come back after the Earth fell into civil war. They came back and took every single child. Every part of this planet was a wasteland, fewer than ten million still alive, dying, sterile from radiation. We had to come back and stop them by any means necessary.”

"Gwen!" Jack called from the other side of the tables. "We found Clem! He's been arrested two hours ago at a pub near Kensington."

"Oh God, we're going to have to get him! I need to call Andy."

"Do that, but remember, you are meeting Lois in an hour."

"Shit."

  
"He'll be fine in jail for a night." Jack nodded encouragingly. "They won't hurt him and he won't be able to hurt himself either. Go meet Lois and we will figure out how to get Clem out in the morning."

Gwen nodded, feeling guilty for leaving Clem alone like that, but there was nothing she could do. She needed to meet with Lois and convince her to be their eyes and ears. Every hope they had of this going over well rested on Lois. Gwen hoped that the girl wouldn't be overwhelmed by this. Her plan was to keep the explanations simple. Wear the contact lenses and watch. No need for any crazy shenanigans, just watching. She took a deep breath before she shouldered her bag with the laptop and left the warehouse.

  
Jack sent Rhys and Sophie out to gather the supplies they would need for their plan and Quinn remained periodically checking on Ianto. It was then that Ianto stirred.

"He's about to wake up. I reckon, he'll want to see you first. I'll be in earshot, take your time."

Ianto groaned softly. There was a dull sort of pain in his chest and his back. His dreams had ebbed and he felt the world pulling closer, slowly. At first, there were sounds he heard that had been familiar, then  
he felt cool air on his arms, finally he could sense the world around him. So he wasn't dead. And someone was holding his hand.

"Jack." He sighed and opened his eyes a crack. The world assaulted him with light making his head spin and he quickly closed them again. Jack's hand squeezed his and he made another attempt to open his eyes. "What," he found talking was still difficult, "what happened?"

"You're alive."

"Can't get rid of me that easily." Ianto smiled. Jack squeezed his hand tighter. "I think you should kiss me."

"Barely awake and already demanding." Jack teased and then obliged and kissed Ianto's forehead. Ianto frowned. "That's all you're getting for now. The doc says you'll be weak for a few hours after waking up. So you need all the rest you can get."

"Doc?"

"That's a long story. You need to gather your strength, you're going to need it soon. We have a plan."

  
Ianto let his head fall back onto his makeshift pillow. The world was still spinning but it seemed to be slowing down. He could appreciate that.  
"What happened after I...?"

"Your heart stopped beating. You were gone for three or four minutes before the nanites could repair the damaged tissue in your body. It was... I... do we have to talk about this now?"

It was Ianto's turn to squeeze Jack's hand. "No. Least I'm back now. So all's good." His speech slurred a bit. He was still so tired. So very tired, but he didn't want to fall asleep just yet. He had barely avoided death and he could tell Jack had been devastated. He remembered the final moments before he had lost consciousness. Some parts were faded and fuzzy like a dream after waking. Other parts were vivid and burnt into his mind. 'Don't go, I need you' and the feel of Jack's tears on his face would forever haunt him. "So tired." He whispered.

  
"Go back to sleep. We don't need you until the morning. Rest." Jack moved to rearrange Ianto's blankets, but Ianto grabbed his hand tightly and pulled slightly.  
"Stay?" He asked, eyes falling shut. "At least for a little while?"

There was a lot of warmth when Jack gently embraced him. It felt nice, comforting and so familiar. Ianto sighed against Jack and inhaled his scent deep into his lungs. He remembered thinking that he would never smell Jack again and here he was. Inhaling deeply, making memories he didn't want to ever forget. And then he felt Jack's lips on his, a gentle, tender kiss and Ianto would have given anything to have the energy to sit up and pull Jack onto the couch and be seduced by him. The fatigue remained, pulling him slowly away from the warehouse. He let himself fall into the kiss. It seemed almost chaste when Jack flicked his tongue over Ianto's lips, not seeking to part them, but merely tasting, savouring and worshipping.

"I thought I'd lost you." Jack whispered when he finally broke the kiss. Ianto knew Jack barely allowed anyone into the deeper workings of his emotions, thoughts and memories. It took a lot for him to speak of how he truly felt. And Ianto also knew that Jack would never say the words Ianto sometimes hoped he would hear. And feeling Jack so close, he thought that that was okay so long as they would have moments like this.

"Jack,” Ianto whispered, "so tired. sleep now.' and his brief encounter with the world vanished to make way for the sleep he desperately needed.

  
When Ianto awoke again, Gwen had returned and he felt a lot less like he needed to be in a coma for a week. In fact, he felt pretty good, like he had a good night's sleep. On the crate beside the couch was a garment bag with a new suit. It didn't fit as perfectly as the one his brush with death had ruined but he wasn't going to argue if it meant getting out of his blood crusted clothes. He dressed himself, briefly running his hands over his chest to feel for any evidence of a bullet wound, but he couldn't find anything. Since it was too bizarre for words, his brain chalked it up to regular Torchwood business and he mentally moved on. There were greater things at stake right now.

Everyone had gathered around one of the laptops and the TV was running in the background on mute.

  
"What's going on?" He asked and pulled up a chair.

"Gwen gave Lois the contact lenses. We're waiting to see if she is going to do it." Jack said and smiled softly. "How are you feeling?"

"Great, actually. Should I be expecting side effects?"

"Side effects are rare. In later years, there is a possibility that your immune system may no longer recognize the nanites and try to get rid of them. Rejection only occurs in about ten percent of those treated with them."

  
"Well that's a reflief. Working for Torchwood, there's a good chance I won't see the later years of my life." Ianto smiled and didn't see Jack's jaw set. Before Jack could say anything the computer beeped and Lois appeared on the screen. "Online! She's doing it!"

"Oh, good girl!" Gwen beamed proudly.

"I knew she would!" Rhys smiled.

"No you didn't." Gwen teased but they quickly were distracted by what happened next. Lois was attending the meeting set up with the 4-5-6, but the mystery had gone now that they knew what was going to happen. Sitting though the protocol speeches suddenly seemed tedious. They were not shocked or surprised when the aliens demanded the children, though they did feel for Lois who had none of the information they had.

"God," Gwen ran her hand over her face, "I don't know what I'd do if I were hearing this for the first time."

"At least we now know for certain that you are telling the truth." Jack looked at Quinn.

"We had no reason to lie. And every reason to try and stop this." There was a sudden tension there. A reminder that a few hours ago things had not been going this smoothly.

"Is it still recording?" Ianto asked.

  
"Yes. And it is saving to all the hard drives in the network as well as on the Torchwood servers." Gwen stared at the screen. The computer's voice was mechanical '-ten percent. We want ten percent of your children.'

"I didn't want to believe what you were telling us. Didn't want to hear this, but here it is. And it's awful."

She turned to the laptop and Ianto watched the screen as she typed instructions to Lois and Ianto translated her shorthand replies. The girl was scared, but she had a sense of righteousness and agreed to all of their instructions, posed appropriate questions and all in all Ianto thought that if they made it through this alive, he would recommend that Jack hired the girl. She would be without a job soon enough, one way or another.

That night, they didn't sleep very well. Gwen sat with Rhys, talking quietly after they had all gone over the plans for the final time. Quinn and Sophie were sitting, looking over maps and getting caught up with the 21st century. For a little while Ianto heard Sophie express her disagreement with the idea that she needed to stay behind due to her appearance. He felt for her, but the world just wasn't ready to be publicly saved by a Blowfish. Jack was pacing in the farthest corner of the warehouse, unaware of Ianto's watching eyes.

  
"Do you need anything, sir?" Ianto leaned quietly against the wall. "There's a bit of coffee left I can get for you."

Jack looked at him, eyes tired, filled with worry and uncertainty. It almost pained Ianto to think that at least he was showing the same signs of exhaustion as they were, as if that somehow was a comfort. Jack said nothing. He never did when he was like this. So, instead Ianto did the talking.

  
"Remember when I told you my father was a master tailor?"

"Yes, but what does that have to do with anything right now?"

  
"I lied." Ianto looked Jack straight in the eye. "He worked as a tailor at a department store. Never able to get his own shop. First suit I wore, I stole from a bloke I met at a bar. We got drunk, he took me home, passed out before anything was going to happen. So, I made off with one of his suits and fifty quid. We all have secrets Jack. But right now, keeping them is going to eat us alive."

There was a moment's pause. Jack digested the sudden revelation and insight. Ianto knew he was surprised, though he shouldn't really be. After all, Ianto had managed to hide a cyberman (he didn't want to think of it as Lisa, it was easier that way) in the deepest vaults of the Hub for a better part of a year. They all had their secrets, perhaps with the exception of Gwen, whose darkest secrets didn't start until she worked for Torchwood.

  
"Why are you telling me this?" Jack finally managed to say.

"I'm telling you this because you look like you are carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders." Ianto wanted to move to touch Jack, but he couldn't. This was Jack's decision. "I want you to know that you are not alone. I know you think you are, but that's not true." He wanted so bad to say 'I'm here for you' but it was a line he couldn't yet cross.

"I have a daughter named Alice and a grandson, Stephen. Frobisher is holding them hostage to ensure that I am not going to tell people about what happend in 1965." Jack couldn't look at Ianto and leaned against the wall beside him "Everyone I ever loved is put into danger and I don't know how much more I can take."

Ianto swallowed the tears that were forming. He couldn't cry for Jack, not now. This was the most geniune and honest moment he had ever had with him and he hadn't expected quite such honesty and found himself uncertain of what to do next.

"We'll get them out." He finally said. "I promise."

  
Jack was close all of a sudden, his weight pressing against Ianto's side. Ianto slipped his hand to entwine with Jack's and for all the sex they've had, this was their most intimate moment, fully clothed against the wall of a warehouse in the middle of London, holding hands and fighting the despair in their hearts.

Morning came fast. None of them had slept more than a few hours. When Ianto awoke, head propped against Jack's shoulder, apparently he had fallen asleep sitting down in the far corner of the warehouse, Gwen was already sitting by the computer, waiting anxiously for the I4 software to activate. Rhys was pacing a few steps away from her. And Quinn and Sophie sat cleaning their guns on one of the adjascent tables. This truly was Torchwood.

"Anything yet?" Jack asked as they made their way over.

"Not yet, but the meeting isn't for another twenty minutes."

"Come on, Ianto, time to fight back." Jack cocked his gun and put it in the holster. Ianto kept his tucked tightly into the back of his pants, concealed by his vest and Quinn's holster was covered by his long coat. The plan was simple. Lois was to reveal what they had been taping to all the people in that room and blackmail them into giving Jack, Ianto and Quinn access to the top level oh Thames house where they would take out the aliens. Quinn had told them they had no special armour and their bodies were very suceptible to pain due to the constant high they were on. They'd go in, shoot first, ask questions later and hopefully make it all out in one piece.

Ianto flipped open his phone and called his sister, let her know that they were coming, told her he knew his phone was wired, to get the children and to tell anyone who has children to keep them at home, to save them.

He shut the phone before Rhiannon could say anything and before he could toss it to the ground it immediately rang again. "Hello?"  
"Thank god, Ianto." Rhys was on the other end, voice nervous and hushed. "where are you?'

"We're just at Thames House." Ianto watched Jack and Quinn continue to walk up to the building as he tried to hear Rhys speak.

"Remember how Jack and Gwen came up with the brilliant idea to have me hide right under their noses? The bloody parking is swarming with special ops and guns and all that. I'm here hiding in the bushes like some creeper, no gun, just a laptop that holds all the evidence we've got and I can't get ahold of my wife. I don't know how long until they find me!"

  
"Fuck." Ianto ran a hand through his hair and over his face. Their plan had barely been set in motion and already had caught a giant snag. If they caught Rhys, then they wouldn't allow them access to Thames House. Instead, they would arrest him and Jack and Quinn and then everything was over. He groaned into the phone, brain racing through various scenarios. He didn't have a choice. He couldn't let Rhys get caught. Jack and Quinn were already a block ahead, he'd have to run now to catch up with them, or- he turned on his heel and raced back to the car. In his hurry, he sent a garbled text message that would probably read something like 'gne 2 fhnd rhxs. spc ops. meet u latr'


	3. Part 3

He raced down to the car. Fortunately for him, Jack had just abandoned the car and left the key in the ignition and the car was still where they had left it. Unfortunately for him, it was trapped in the gridlock amongst dozens of other cars, some of them abandoned, others still containing drivers and occupants looking worried, bored or screaming into their mobiles. This wasn't good. Victoria Park was just up the road from Thames House and even if he got the car out of this gridlock, how was he to get to the park with all the roads blocked. Sometimes he cursed that Jack's impulsiveness was rubbing off on him. It was a long run, but after these past days it felt almost refreshing to be running toward something rather than running away. It helped that there were no bullets flying after him, too.

Victoria Park stretched before him, tranquil and green, benches for visitors to sit on and enjoy the view. Victoria Tower just off in the distance. Parliament framing the end of the park, a looming figure of government, always watching. Usually, it was brimful of tourists on clear day like this, soaking up the sun and generally enjoying the scenery with their family and friends. Ianto noticed a distinct lack of children's laughter and a distinct lack of people other than the special ops dressed in black with large rifles searching through the brush. Ianto dropped behind a tree and held his breath hoping they had not noticed him. The trees were providing some cover, but these soldiers were combing through even the flower beds. If they hadn't found Rhys yet, it really was only a matter of time. As quietly as he could manage, Ianto stayed near the trees watching the special ops team tear through the woodsy area on the opposite side of him. He looked around. There were two rather large men standing near a black SUV. He bit his tongue to suppress a noise of surprise. That wasn't just any SUV, that was the Torchwood SUV! He knew a bunch of kids couldn't have cracked those locks. They'd been following them from the beginning! If he could reclaim the SUV, they would be able to gain the advantage. With all the technology in that vehicle, it was no wonder the special ops team was always a step ahead.

His phone vibrated: other side of SUV bushes behind the bench. Rhys must have spotted him and if Rhys could see him, the special ops most certain could as well. He dropped to the ground and waited a few moments before crawling toward the SUV on his belly. Another suit ruined. He should really start wearing jeans and t-shirts. If he could get to Rhys, they would stand a chance to take out those two guys and recover the SUV. Once they were inside, it didn't matter if they were noticed. That SUV could take a dive off a cliff and be mostly all right.  
Rhys was ducked down but moving slowly toward him on his side of the park. Ianto looked back, the special ops team was moving toward the SUV at a slow pace. They were checking carefully for tracks or any evidence that someone had been there. There was a sudden shout and a call. Ianto's heart beat in his throat as he pushed himself up to run (away. again.) but Rhys shook his head and crossed his arms 'no'. Ianto turned and watched the special ops guys drag an obviously homeless man to his feet and from the looks of it began interrogating him. The men by the SUVs had moved forward but apparently had received instructions in their headset to keep position. Johnson wasn't with them then. Ianto caught Rhy's eye and pulled his gun from his pants. He hoped he got the 'sneak across and hit the guy in the back of the head before they can alert anyone'.

Leaving the brush was nerve wrecking. Any cover was gone and any shot would probably hit him square. He really didn't want to be shot at again today. Rhys mimicked his movements, eyes nervously on the team still busy interrogating the obviously crazed homeless man. He paused. That homeless man looked very familiar- Clem. How the hell had he gotten out of prison and found them here? The moment's hesitation was enough for one of the guys to see Ianto from the corner of his eyes. He was too close to lift his gun fast enough and something hard connected with his wrists and then his gut. He couldn't breathe, but attempted to throw a punch as he pulled himself back upright. He didn't miss but the guy was wearing a helmet and body armour. He might as well have been tickeling him to a similar effect. He was surprised to see Rhys's guy actually go down. The man really needed to be recruited to be part of the team with all those hidden talents. Rhys jumped Ianto's guy and Ianto managed to take out the guy's legs and together they wrestled him to the ground.

“That's pretty impressive,” a voice sounded beside them followed by several clicks of guns that were pointed at them, "but I'm afraid you will have to come with us."

“Bloody hell.” Rhys raised his arms above his head.

“You took our SUV!" Ianto exclaimed, too exasperated to care anymore. His eyes fell on the Torchwood inlay that no longer was dark but sparkled in streaks of silver. “You scratched our SUV! You blew up the Hub, while those people are preparing to take your bloody children! And we're the bad guys?! What the bloody fucking hell is wrong with you?!”

  
"Shove it, we've got our orders. Cuff 'em and put them in the back." The bald man unceremoniously pulled Clem along and shoved the frightened man into the back of the SUV.

"Johnson wants us to bring them to the base to detain them. Smith, Langdon, you stay behind and secure the area then report back to base." There was saluting and aye-ing and then Ianto sat wedged between Rhys and Clem, hands cuffed in their laps.

"Is Gwen okay?" Rhys looked worried.

"I don't know, but she's smart and Sophie doesn't seem to mind fighting her way out of a situation. And if everything works out, we'll hopefully be free before they get us to their base." Clem twitched beside him. "You all right? They didn't hurt you, did they?" Clem shook his head and looked down and twitched again. "How did you get here?"

"I was looking for the man." Clem sniffed the air. "I could smell him. You smell like him. It smells like it did when they came to take us. But the man, the man was there. He told us to run, but no one did. I did. They were too scared to run. I was too scared to stop. There were screams and they shot him. They shot the woman he was with, too. They kept telling us to run. So many shots. I ran so fast, but no one else would. Kept running away from the light. And then it was dark and I was alone. But I can still smell him. He smells like you." Clem twitched again and babbled incoherently into his shoulder.

"Poor guy's lost it." Rhys looked over at Clem. "Wish Gwenny was here, she said he really liked her."

The SUV took a sudden detour, a U-turn and then across some flower beds. Ianto heard metal scraping against metal and sighed. Clem was thrown against the window and whimpered. Ianto twisted his body and attempted to pat the man's knee to reassure him but Clem flinched away.

"Change of plans, boys. Guess you aren't the bad guys after all. We're heading to headquarters. Johnson's picked up Cooper and a fish. We're regrouping. Guess you did a pretty job at convincing the boss that we're on the wrong side." And more solemnly he added, "I've got two nieces in grade five. They said busses are coming to get the kids. You were right Jones."

It was probably the closet to an apology they were going to get for all of this. They arrived at headquarters, which were located in an abandoned warehouse probably not too far from where they had set up camp. Handcuffs came off their wrists and a shriek of 'Rhys! Ianto!' was followed by a huge hug. Ianto felt stunned, like he had missed something, but at the same time elated. They weren't hunted by everyone anymore. It felt like a win, they had finally won a battle and perhaps they would be able to win the war. It was then that Clem let out a screech and collapsed to the ground. Gwen was by his side as he rocked shaken by convulsions, holding his head like there was a sound only he could hear. He cried and screamed and when blood began to flow from his ears and eyes, Ianto covered his hand with his mouth. Something terrible was happening. There were shouts and screams coming from the television, headsets were activated. Reports came in. Ianto's eyes fell on the television mounted on the wall. "Thames House locked down. No survivors."

"Jack" fell from Ianto's lips the very moment Clem let out a sigh and passed away. The victory suddenly felt like a punch in the gut. The battle suddenly seemed to have been swallowed by the war. And hope, hope seemed lost. The images were gruesome, people clawing at windows and doors, trying to get out and somewhere in there were Jack and Quinn, dying with everyone else. He didn’t have time to finish his thoughts when Gwen lightly touched his shoulder.

“We think the 4-5-6 killed Clem for whatever reason. Agent Johnson has a team working on what just happened here. Frobisher doesn’t know that she has switched sides yet. Lois has been arrested. We’re going to pick up Jack and Quinn’s bodies, maybe if they haven’t brought her away yet, we can grab her in the process. Could you and Rhys keep an eye on Sophie? I think she’s taken Quinn’s death pretty hard.”

“Yes,” Ianto nodded mind still a bit absent. Everything was starting to become a bit surreal, even for him.  
He found Sophie sitting cross-legged on a chair watching several computers as though searching or something. She looked tired, but they all did. Her colourful head fin was covered by a grey scary and the scales that framed her face looked dull.

“Come to cheer up the gold fish?” She said without looking up.

“ I always thought you looked more like a Lion fish than a gold fish or a Blowfish for that matter.”

“I guess in some parts of the galaxy that counts as a compliment.” She winked at him. “I’m not upset. Quinn died trying to save the children. It’s all we can really wish for. What I am trying to find is some indication of what the government is up to now. Their vaccination scheme didn’t work very well, and rumours are spreading that they are going to take the children by force.”

“And even if we stop them from taking the children, the world will plunge into chaos.”

“Unless those responsible are held accountable for their crimes.” She patted the laptop. “It got banged up a bit, but I saved the hard drive. All the information is still there. Oh hell-“ She broke off when a small window popped up, an online podcast, shakily held cameras that showed busses with children driving into a military compound. The voice of a woman was hushed and out of breath, warning them that children were being taken by force. “So much for rumours.”

“Rhiannon.” Ianto felt a cold chilled across his back and the pang of guilt in his gut.

“Who?”

“My sister, they have two children, Mica and David. I’ve got to go.”

"What do you mean you have to go?"

"It's my family. I've been a secretive little shit, they think I'm gay and they still care enough to help me without question. Now, who knows what's going to happen to the kids. I can't just stay here and do nothing."

There was a moment when he spoke that he saw Sophie's face change and he knew she wasn't going to stop him.

"Well then let's go. We've got a helicopter to hijack."

"What do you mean 'we' and I was thinking more along the lines of a car. Can you even fly a helicopter."

"I've flown a space ship through the firebelts of Amon'rah, I can fly one of your little air hoppers."

Ianto wanted to roll his eyes but instead holstered his gun and put on the jacket he had been given when he had arrived. Sophie tucked her scarf into her shirt, smiled, and pulled her coat closed. This was it, he guessed. He was going to face the end of humanity not beside Jack but beside a Blowfish that had shot him. And yet, he couldn't feign surprise. This was Torchwood after all. Torchwood in all its glorious insanity. And without it, he wouldn't be on his way to protect his niece and nephew. He'd still be drifting all over the country working menial jobs here and there.

"Hey! Less mental reminiscing and more moving!" Sophie had snatched a set of keys from one of the consoles. "One of these should do it." The way she had absolutely no plan finally succeeded in making Ianto roll his eyes.

"Here, allow me." He hissed at her and walked into one of the control rooms. "Excuse me, but Johnson wanted me to check on the helicopter, you got the keys?" The man grunted, didn't so much as look up from his work and tossed Ianto a key. "Thanks, mate!"

"Better you than me." The guy grunted and returned to mashing his fingers on the keyboard in front of him.

"I'm impressed." Sophie looked at her set of keys. "None of them look like those. Good job, Ianto."

"It's not always about being sneaky, sometimes the direct route is the easiest. Especially if it sounds like you're doing a job someone else doesn't want to do."

They exited the front of the building just as a truck pulled up to the building with squealing tires. Gwen jumped out of the passenger side and waved. "Hey Ianto! Give us a hand! She pulled a ratty looking older man from the backseat of the truck. Jack jumped from the driver's seat in deep conversation with Quinn- hadn't everyone in the building died?

"Quinn?" Sophie stood frozen. "I thought you were dead!"

"Funny thing that," Quinn coughed and embraced her, "looks like I somehow picked up immunity to the bug. Agent Johnson is having someone take my blood to see if we can figure out a cure or innoculation against the virus while Jack and I and this one here," he pointed at the ratty man, "are going to figure out if we can stop the 4-5-6 any other way."

"Where were you two headed anyway?" Jack asked, staring at Ianto. Ianto averted his gaze.

"Nowhere, just stretching our legs." He lied. He knew Jack would call him on it, but once everyone was settled down, he would slip out and make his way back to Cardiff. He had no other choice.

"Stretching your legs." Jack narrowed his eyes.

"He's trying to go see his sister." Sophie said. "I was going with him. We didn't know what else to do. I mean, I thought you were dead, Quinn. And what with them now rolling out busses and trucks to pick up the children."

"They're picking up children?" Gwen's eyes widened.

"From the schools with big buses. And they send military out into the towns to collect the kids. Someone's broadcasting it over the internet." Ianto faltered.

"Well we can't have that." Ianto hadn't noticed Rhys come out of the building. He probably had known that Gwen was coming back. "We'll go. You're needed here. We'll go back, right Gwenny?"

"Of course we will."

The rest was kind of a blur, keys and weapons were exchanged. And before he knew it two other agents were in the helicopter with Gwen and Rhys and flew off toward Cardiff Bay.

"Hey, you all right?" He felt Jack's hand on his shoulder, gentle, like his voice. Ianto didn't think he would be reprimanded but he still flinched just in case. "Hey," Jack said again and pulled him close, very close, "when you disappeared, I thought that you'd found a different way in and when they gased the building, and I woke up. All I could think about was that you were supposed to be there with me and you weren't and I-" He stopped. Was he crying? Ianto thought it better not to check, instead rested his head on Jack's shoulder.

"Thought I was dead. I would be if Rhys hadn't gotten himself into trouble. Or rather, if Gwen's obvious hiding place hadn't been so obvious."

"Well, that's Torchwood right there. Guns first, ask questions later."

"I'm okay Jack."

"I know."

"You can stop trying to break my ribs now."

"Sorry." Ianto smiled because he knew Jack wasn't. "I have to go."

"I know, Jack."

There was a moment silence before Jack pulled away from Ianto. Face wiped clean of any emotion that could have given him away.

"I need you to do me a favour, Ianto. Can you find Alice and Stephen in cell 847 and make sure they know I'm alive and that they are safe? Get them whatever they need, just don't let them out. They need to be safe."

"Understood."

"Come find me after. We will need someone who can network together some things, we think we found a way to stop the 4-5-6."

"Yes, Sir."

And then Jack disappeared inside but not without pressing a kiss on Ianto's lips. Ianto smiled, broadly. Some girly bits inside him felt rather validated. It was silly, but it had been the first time Jack had been tender with him in public in front of people they didn't know. It was strange and at the same time it felt exhilerating. Ianto cleared his throat and straightened his jacket when he noticed that Sophie was staring at him with a bizarre smile on her face baring at least two rows of teeth at him.

"That was adorable."

"Oh shut up." Ianto felt his cheeks flush.

"Don't worry, mate, he likes you a lot. That much is obvious. I've got to fetch some narrow-band wave stimulator, whatever that is."

"No idea, probably something to tap into the frequeny with which the 4-5-6 communicate or something. Good luck!"

He slipped down a few corridors, talked to a few people, obtained another set of keys and made his way to the cells. Jack had trusted him with his family, like Ianto was trusting Gwen and Rhys with his own. Somewhere in there, they had all become family and hadn't even noticed.

  
*  
“Are you all right, there?” Ianto opened the cell. “I’m Ianto, I’m with Torchwood.”

  
Alice stood up and pushed the blond boy behind her. “You’re not taking my son.”

  
“Oh, um, I wasn’t going to. Just thought you maybe didn’t want to be in this cell anymore. Jack’s here, Frobisher isn’t to be found and the rest of the government has their hands full at the moment. You’re no longer a prisoner.”

  
“How did you know we were here?” Her eyes narrowed suspiciously.

  
“Jack told me.” Her eyes narrowed further, and she stood in front of Stephen looking quite ready for a fight. She was definitely Jack’s daughter. “All right, I possibly may have overheard that you were being held here.”

  
“But he didn’t tell you to let me go.”

  
“I am sure he would have but things are a bit insane right now.”

  
“You truly believe that, don’t you.”

  
“He’s a good man.”

  
She laughed. It was cold. “He’s a dangerous man. He’s the reason we are here.”

  
“I know, but the government has started forcefully collecting children. You’re safe in this compound. And I may have also overheard that you are really good with computers and Jack may need your help.”

“Ah,” her lips were tight, “I don’t want Stephen near him.”

“I have a niece and nephew, I can take care of him for a bit. I’m sure we can find a computer with some kind of video game on here.”

  
She eyed him suspiciously. He didn’t blame her; he was a strange man who just let her out of her cell. Gwen was much better at this and she probably came across a lot less creepy than he surely did.

“Ianto, there you are!” Sophie called from down the hallway. “I just got news from Gwen. They arrived in Cardiff and should be with your family shortly!”

Alice clasped her hand in front of her mouth and suppressed a surprised shriek. Stephen’s eyes went big like saucers.

“Sophie, when Quinn told you about wearing that scarf. He meant to keep it around your head.”

“It’s itchy, and no one around here seems to be bothered.” Her eyes fell on Alice. “Oh. Hi, I’m Sophie and you are, Alice, yes?”

“Yes, that’s ri- I’m very sorry, I am being incredibly rude. I didn’t mean to react like this, I was just surprised.”

“Hey, so long as you don’t start shooting at me or try to sacrifice me to the volcano gods, it’s no trouble.” She smiled her jagged-toothed smile.

“You’re a fish! Like on the telly!” Stephen exclaimed.

“Stephen that’s very rude.” Alice scolded her son. “I’m very sorry.”

“What kind of fish do you think I am?”

“Hm.” Stephen studied her for a few moments. Ianto looked at Alice and shrugged. “A Lion fish!”

“You’ve got an excellent eye, kid! Wanna go grab something to eat and play some video games?”

“Cool! Can I, Mum?”

Alice looked at Ianto.

“She’s travelled space and time to save the children. And she’s got a mean left hook. He’ll be safe with her.”

“All right, but don’t be rude.”

  
“Don’t worry. We’ll stay just a shout away.” Sophie took Stephen’s hand.

“You know for someone who claims their species doesn’t have family bonds, you’re awfully good with children.” Ianto remarked and earned a strange look from Sophie. Then she smiled and told him not to keep his boy-toy waiting.

Ianto walked along the corridors with Alice in a semi-awkward silence.

"So," Alice finally said, "you and my dad."

"It sounds really a lot worse when you say it like that." Ianto cringed.

"It's all right, if you'd rather not talk about it."

"I'd rather not, if you don;t mind."

"Not at all. Kind of weird anyways."

Ianto really wished that the cells were closer to where he was supposed to meet Jack. Not that he had thought this through what with bringing Alice with him, but perhaps she could help. There was a scream from behind them.

"Sophie?" Ianto shouted and turned back. The scream turned into a loud string of cussing interrupted by the occasional thud. When they arrived where they had heard the screams from, Sophie was on the ground wrestling with one of the armed men that had stood watch outside the building earlier. A woman in black gear was dragged Stephen away from her. Ianto vaguely registered the noise that Alice made beside him before she threw herself at the woman. For a moment, it looked as though she had the upper hand, blindly attacking any part of the woman she could reach, but another armed guard pulled her away. It was the moment Ianto decided to jump the man. It was also the moment Ianto found himself thrust against the wall. The dull pain spread from his forehead to his neck almost immediately and he coughed as he tried to compose himself and the butt end of a gun hit him in the gut. Sophie's shouts were cut short when the man punched her in the soft part of the back of her skull. She sank her teeth (all three sets of them) into his arm before falling to the floor.

The men scrambled to their feet and flanked the woman as she ran down the hall with a very confused Stephen. Alice was the first back on her feet but they turned the corner just as she started to run. Ianto tried to shake the pain and began to drag himself after them. Sophie was still attempting to pick herself off the floor. She'd catch up with them but it was important they got to Stephen. If military had infiltrated them, he needed to warn Jack. He ran, he ran fast until his lungs burned and caught up with Alice just as he watched them slip into a door and shut it behind them. Alice slammed into the door without stopping, shouting Stephen's name, attempting to open the door but it was looked.

Ianto's breath caught in his throat when he saw Jack inside. Jack and Quinn and Johnson and that ratty man were all inside. The woman that had caught Stephen was talking to Jack. He looked grave and when he caught Alice's eyes through the tiny reinforced window of the door, he pretended he had not seen them.

"Jack open the door!" Ianto shouted, trying the handle again. "Open the fucking door!"

"What is he doing?" Alice's voice was hoarse, her face stained with tears and she was shaking all over. "What is he doing with Stephen?"

"I don't know, but he wouldn't- why would he lock us out? Jack! Open the door!"

"I can open it," Sophie coughed behind them. She was bleeding from her face in purple streaks and her teeth were stained with the blood of the man she had bit. Ianto couldn't help but shiver as he imagined what those teeth would feel like sinking into one's skin. He decided he didn't want to know.

"Here," Sophie held up a small device, "it's how we got into the Torchwood warehouse. Opens door, any door." She pushed the device against the door and with a small click, it opened.

They barely made it inside before the men had surrounded them. It took two of them to hold back Alice and Ianto felt strangely proud of her. She was so very obviously her father's daughter. Her father who currently instructed his grandchild to stand on a round port and considering how hard they had fought to keep them out of the room, Ianto assumed this was not a machine to conjure the boy a pony and a race car.

"What the fuck are you doing, Jack?!" He actually managed to push out of the lines of men and in front of the boy. Between the boy and Jack. "Get off that platform, Stephen!" He shouted and felt the boy grabbing his jacket as he hid behind him.

"It's the only way to stop them, Ianto." Jack sounded distant, much like the Jack Ianto had first met, distant, aloof, shut away from the world.

"By killing a child? I thought we were supposed to protect them."

"Sometimes, the needs of the many, it's a sacrifice that has to be made."

"You don't believe that!" Ianto didn't need to think when his hand felt for his holster. "Tell me you don't believe that!" He didn't hear the struggle that was happening behind him. He only heard the ragged, terrified breath of Stephen clutching his jacket.

"I can't. Ianto please. I didn't want you to be involved in this." Jack was wearing his holster. Ianto knew he would draw his gun given a chance. What happened next was a blur, he heared Alice scream behind him and someone else made a noise that sounded a lot like Sophie had sunk her teeth into their skin. Ianto drew his gun and pointed it at Jack who pointed it at Ianto. Vaguely, he heard Johnson call off her men and the ratty man made some form of noise.

"You don't mean this, Jack." Ianto found it impossible to describe what he felt this moment. It seemed a great range of emotions that seemed to have a large amount of betrayal and hurt mixed in with them.

"I have to, Ianto." Did Jack have the audacity to cry? "There are millions of children's lives at stake."

"He is your own grandson. Your family! You wouldn't sell us out like that, Gwen and me." Ianto paused and read Jack's face. "But you would. You'd sacrifice us all if you thought you needed to. You'd sacrifice me."

"I wouldn't." Jack's voice broke.

"You'll have to. You're not getting the child. You'll have to go through me."

"Johnson!" Jack shouted, but Johnson didn't move. She didn't signal her men to move to grab Stephen, but she also did not come to Ianto's aid. It was between the two of them now.

"If you want Stephen, you'll have to shoot me, Jack, you'll have to kill me to get to him."

Jack's aim waivered. Ianto knew he could shoot him now, end all this then and there, but he wanted it to be Jack's decision. He wanted to be proud of Jack, wanted to be able to trust him again. Jack shuddered and with a noise that sounded like a muffled sob dropped the gun. Ianto took a deep breath.

"You're right," Jack said as he stepped away from the console, "I can't."

Behind him Alice called Stephen who tore himself from Ianto and ran toward his mother. Ianto hadn't noticed the ratty man getting up, nor had any of them seen him pick up a gun and point it at him. He did hear the shots that fired from Sophie's gun and he did see the bullets tear through the ratty man's head and heart.

"Fuck." Ianto couldn't think of another word that described this situation well enough.

"What are we going to do now?" Jack whispered. "They're going to take them all."

"Not necessarily, Jack." Quinn spoke up from behind them. "You said we needed a child to send a feedback loop through all the children and back to the 4-5-6 yes? Their hormones are the carriers, right? Sophie will never develop sexual hormones that hinder the transmissions. If you can tap her into the frequency, she can do what a child would be able to do."

"It'll fry her brain, too." Jack said and ran his hands through his hair.

"Not necessarily," Sophie spoke up, "we still have two doses of nanites left. If we inject them directly into my brain right before the procedure, they will repair the damage as it occurs. Worst case scenario, I'll have a bit of a headache for a couple of days."

"You're sure of this?" Jack was back behind the console.

"It's worth one final shot, isn't it?"

"Are you okay with this Sophie?"

"I want to help. And if my freakish physiology can do any good in this, so be it. This is why we came back here, Jack. We came back to stop you from letting them take the children."

Not five minutes later, Ianto found himself behind a console with instructions to keep the blue bars within the purple area. Sophie was standing on the platform with electrodes attached to her head and shoulders. She smiled a toothy smile as Quinn injected her with the nanites and closed her eyes. The first shock through her elicited a strange noise from the back of her throat. Ianto shivered. Whatever it was coursed through Sophie's body, shook it, distorted it slightly. Then, suddenly, she fell completely still and began to scream, screech, make the most unearthly noise Ianto hadever heard.

  
Ianto tried the block the scream but it seemed to reverberate inside his very bones. He felt ill, sick to his stomach and just as he throught he would have to throw up, the scream stopped abruptly and Sophie collapsed on her hands and knees.

"Holy shit!" She exclaimed after breathing heavily for a few seconds. Quinn was beside her, checking her pulse and general well-being. Jack looked stunned and Agent Johnson was on the phone.

"We did it." She said after she hung up. "They're gone." The jubilation was a modest one. A few cheers but mostly everyone looked exhausted physically as well as emotionally. It would take a long time for everyone to recover from this.

"You sure she's fine?" Jack asked Quinn, brows furrowed.

"She seems fine. Elevated pulse and blood pressure, but what we just put her body through. The nanites are functioning properly, any damage left should be repaired in a couple of days."

When they stepped out of the building, a few hours later, Gwen and Rhys had just climbed out of the helicopter. Gwen through herself around Ianto and Jack bringing news that everyone was all right back home. The mood lifted considerably when they had arrived, Jack even cracked a joke on Gwen's expense, but there was something that Ianto knew all too well. That look in Jack's eyes.

“So, what are you guys planning to do now?” Jack was smiling. Ianto knew that smile. It was usually followed by a job offer.

“I don’t know,” Quinn looked at Sophie who shrugged, “haven’t really thought about it, I guess.”

“You’re trained Torchwood operatives, I would say that my door is always open, but seeing as we no longer have a door, I could need a few more hands to help build another one.”

Quinn and Sophie stared a bit blankly.

“He’s offering you a job with us,” Ianto rolled his eyes.

"You'll accept then? We do need a doctor." Jack smiled.

"Of course, thank you, thank you. Sophie, isn't that great news?"

"Yeah." She said and then collapsed to the floor. There was purple flowing from her eyes and ears. She convulsed for a moment and then laid perfectly still.

"She's dead." Quinn said, voice strangely absent. "The nanites weren't quick enough. They just delayed the inevitable."

***

 

Ianto wasn't sure if it had been Alice telling Jack that her and Stephen were moving to Canada and that while she loved him very much, he could never come see her again. Or if it had been Sophie's sudden death after they had been sure that she would have lived. Or perhaps, it had been the moment when Ianto had pulled a gun on Jack, when Jack's heart had broke. He couldn't be sure. All he knew is that when Jack left the pub tonight, he hadn't planned on returning. They had spent hours discussing plans how to excavate what was left of the hub, to fix the rift machine as soon as possible and to salvage whatever they could and to start anew in Cardiff. Jack said something about needing some air and that he would see them all back at the hotel. He had hugged Gwen and ordered her another glass of milk; patted Rhys on the back; told Johnson not to scare the Weevils too badly; given Quinn a squeeze on the shoulder; and then, when it was Ianto's turn, kissed him on the forehead and then on the lips and walked out of the bar.

"If you'll excuse me," Ianto staggered slightly and wondered if Jack had spiked his drink. In a panic, his mind conjured up all sorts of insane scenarios but the one that screamed the loudest had him and the others retconned, to forget they had ever met Jack. As he left the pub, he heard Gwen shout something about being glad that she didn't sleep in the room beside them tonight. Jack's coat disappeared behind a corner just as Ianto stepped into the open. He followed him quietly to the bay where Jack stopped by the water's edge. It was dark out here, the light from the streets did not reach this far.

"You can stop following me now." Jack said without turning around.

"Where are you going, Jack?"

"I can't stay here. It's just- it's too much. There is a freighter waiting just outside the solar system for my signal." He held up his vortex manipulator. "I don't know how, but Rhys got it fixed for me. It may not jump through space and time anymore, but it's enough to hitch a ride."

"So, you're leaving for good then."

"Yeah."

"Because of what happened?"

"Because of what I am capable of doing. Because I endanger everyone around me. I almost lost you twice, Ianto. I just can't."

"And what about Torchwood?" Ianto was trying hard to keep his voice steady, his emotions under control and bury the impulse to beg Jack to stay.

"You've shown that you're more than capable of leading them. Johnson and Quinn are good people. Gwen is going to call Lois, she'll be excellent to help sort the archives again. You won't be alone, Ianto." Jack still didn't turn around.

"And what about us?"

"What about us?"

Ianto hated the skirting, the dancing they did around what was between them. He never knew which way they were going and up until now it had been enough, but once he felt a glimpse of what it could be like, he wanted more. Oh, he knew it was incredibly selfish, but he wanted Jack to stay for him, just for him, because Jack felt something for him, perhaps even loved him.

"You can't even look at me, Jack." Ianto took a deep breath and looked up. "I can tell you that it wasn't your fault until the world ends. I can tell you Sophie made her decision just as you made the decision not to kill Stephen. I can tell you that we are the sums of our decisions good and bad. I can tell you that you are a good man, but you don't want to hear that. It won't make you stay, and I don't know what will."

"Thank you for believing in me, Ianto." Jack flipped open the vortex manipulator and Ianto felt something sharp and cold shoot through his heart.

"Jack, wait!" He crossed the distance between them, grabbed Jack by the arm and pulled him into a kiss. "I can't ask you to stay, but I want you to."

Jack pressed his head into Ianto's shoulder, arms wrapped tightly around him. "I'm suffocating." He whispered into Ianto's ear. "All the fear and guilt and it's crushing me from inside."

“I’m here,” Ianto whispered, “I won’t leave you lost in the dark.”

Jack did not push the button and Ianto slid the manipulator from his wrist.

Fin.


End file.
